Vehicle door latch



Oct. 25, 71938. I

H. w. RIGHTMYE R VEHICLE DOOR LATCH Filed Nov. 26, 1937.

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INVENTOR Holden W, fay/#07 er ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 25, 1938 VEHICLE DOOR LATCH I Holden W"Rightmyer, ,"Ohiotassignor t 1 The American Swiss Company, Toledo, Ohio, 1, rporation of Ohio Application November 26, 1937, Serial No." 176,572 I 4 Claims. (01. 292- 164) This invention relates to vehicle door latches and an object is to produce a door latch having the new and improved features of construction, arrangement and operationhereinafter described.

An embodiment of the invention is shown by way of illustration on the accompanying drawing in which 1 Figure l is a top plan view of a vehicle door latch, the inside operated remote control structure being omitted and a portion of the cylinder locking device being broken away;

' Figure 2 is a side edge elevation of shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the doggingplate forthe outside operated roll back. r

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a vehicle door .latch having a case plate l0 provided with an outwardly extending flange II at one edge. Formed in the flange H is a suitable opening through which extends the nose |2 of a latch bolt l3. The nose I2 is secured to the latch bolt by rivets M and bearing against the rear face of the bolt nose is the free end of a spiral spring IS, the opposite end of which is secured by ears l6 struck out of the case plate l0. Movement of the latch bolt |3 towards latching position is cushioned by a rubber bumper carried by the case plate, a downwardly bent flange I8 on the latch bolt being engageable with the bumper.

Movement of the latch bolt to and from latching position is guided by a rivet l9 secured to the case plate l0 and having its shank disposed in a longitudinally elongate slot formed in the bolt plate |3. Extending rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the case plate H! is an extension 2| which is integral with the bolt plate l3 and is formed with a longitudinally elongate slot 22 in which rides a pin or rivet 23 fixed to the inner end of a remote control strap or link 24. A spring washer 25 is interposed between the strap 24 and the bolt extension 2|. It will be apparent to those skilled in this art that the strap or link 24 leads to the usual remote control device (not shown) having a handle disposed on the inside of the door which by actuation in one direction retracts the latch bolt against the force of the spring l5.

Disposed intermediate the bolt plate l3 and case plate H) is a plate 26 having an opening 21 generally triangular in shape and through this opening extends the rivet I9. At the forward end of the plate 26 is an inwardly extending pin 28 which projects into a downwardly curved slot 29 formed in the case plate l0 and in advance the lock of the pin 28 is; an arcuate recess or groove 30 withwhich engages the rounded end of a roll backj3| The roll back- 3| is mounted in the usual manner within a cover plate 32, there being a rectangular opening33 to receive the'squared i spindle or an outside operated door handle (not shown). For holding the plate 26 in engage ment with the roll back 3|, a spiral spring-34 has one end secured to the case plate I0 andits-opposite end bearing against a downwardly andrear wardly inclined extension arm" 35. It will be apparent thatthe spring tends to rock the plate 26 in a clockwise direction aboutthe-pin 28 asv apivot. Formed'at the rear'end'of the plate26 is-a'downwardly inclined cam surface 36 "and stepped down slightly from and forwardly of the surface 361s; another cam surface 31, the lower end of which merges into a notch 38/ Below the notch 38 is a vertically 'dlsposed'edge portion 39 which extends inwardly at 40 and merges with a vertically disposed abutment surface 4|-'. In operation it will be apparent that by movement of the strap 24 to the right of Figure 1 by the usual remote control, the latch bolt is retracted against the force of the spring IS, the

rivet 23 engaging the rear end of the slot 22,

and upon release, the spring'returns the bolt nose l2 to latching position. Retraction of the latch bolt from the outside of the door may be efiected by turning or rocking the roll back 3| in a clockwise direction, the abutment surface 4| on the plate 26 moving into engagement with aflange 42 on the lower side of the bolt plate extension 2|, the retracting movement from the outside of the door thus taking place through the roll back 3|, plate 26, and the bolt plate I3.

In order to render the outside'door handle or roll back 3| inoperative, the remote strap 24 is moved to the left of Figure l or in anon-bolt retracting direction. The head of the rivet 23, which is T-shaped, first engages the cam surface 36 of the plate 26 and rocks the plate upwardly and then upon engaging the cam surface 31 a plate is rocked to such position that a shoulder 43 on the upper portion of the plate is moved into abuttingrelation with the stop 44 on the case.

der 43 away from the stop 44, thereby enabling retraction of the latch bolt by the roll back'3l. It will also be understood that the roll back 3| can be dogged or rendered inoperative by a slide 45 of the usual type actuated by a key-controlled cam (not shown), but since this forms no part of the present invention, further illustration and description will not be given.

While I have shown and described an embodiment which is the best form known tome at the present time, it is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be efiectedwithout departing fromthe spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A vehicle door latch comprising ;a case plate, a spring-tensioned latch bolt movable over said case plate, inside operated retracting means having lost motion relative to' said'latch bolt in a non-bolt retracting direction, an outside operated retractor includinga plate slidable rela-.

tive to said case plate, a mounting for said slidable plate affording rocking movements thereof,

means on said slidable plate engageable by said inside operated retracting means upon such lost motion for imparting rockingmovement to said slidable plate in one direction, and abutment means engageable by said slidable plate upon rocking movement thereof for blocking retracting movement on said outside operated retracting means.

2, A vehicle doorilatch comprising a case plate, a spring-tensioned latch bolt movableover said case plate, insideoperated retracting means having lost motion relative to saidlatch bolt in a non-bolt retracting direction, an outside oper' ated retractorincluding a plate-slidable relative to said case-plate, a mounting for said slidable plate affording rockingmovements thereof, means on said slidable plateengageable by said inside operated retracting means upon such lost motion for imparting rocking movement to said slidable plate in one direction, abutment means engageable-by said slidable plate uponro cking movement thereofl for] blocking retracting movement on said outside operated retracting means, and a spring urging said slidable plate away from said abutment means.

3. A vehicle door latch comprising a case plate, a spring-tensioned latch bolt movable over said case plate, insideoperated retracting means having lost motion relative to said latch bolt in a non-bolt retracting direction, an outside operated retractor including a plate slidable relative to said case plate, a mounting for said slidable plate affording rocking movements thereof, cam means on said slidable plate engageable by said inside operated retracting means upon such lost motion for imparting rockingmovement to said slidable plate in one direction, and abutment means engageable' by said slidable plate upon rocking movement thereof for blocking retracting movement on. said outside operated retracting means.

41A vehicle door latch comprising a case plate, a springtensioned, latch bolt movable to and from latching position relative to said case plate, a pin and slotconnection between said bolt and case plate for, guiding the movements of the former, ,a:plate interposed between said latch bolt and'case plate and provided with an enlarged opening receiving said pin, an outside op.- erated roll back withwhich said plate engages, a mounting for said plate enabling rocking movements thereof, spring means tending to rock said plate in one direction, an inside operated retractor. having, a lost motion connection with said latch bolt, a cam surface on said last plate engageable by said inside retractor upon said lost motion for rocking said plate in the opposite direction, and abutment members on said last plate and case plate adapted to be moved into engagement upon rocking movement of said' last plate by said inside retractor.

HOLDEN W. RIGH'IMYER... 

